👁 Viewers Favor "Cheburashka 2" and "The Housemaid"

The Digital Battle: “Cheburashka” vs. “The Housemaid”

The major event of March was the wide expansion of Cheburashka 2. The sequel to the family blockbuster was released simultaneously on seven major platforms, topping the charts on Okko, Wink, Start, and Premier. Only Kinopoisk users showed relative restraint, placing the film in fifth.

A true phenomenon emerged in the thriller The Housemaid, starring Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney. The film not only claimed leadership on Kinopoisk and Kion but also triggered an unusual surge of interest in the 2018 film A Simple Favor, as viewers began rewatching it en masse as a primary plot reference for the new release.

The Magic of Context: Why Are Viewers Watching Old Movies?

March rankings clearly demonstrate how new releases “pull” classics back into the spotlight:

• Jason Statham: The digital release of the action flick The Asylum brought the 2012 film Safe back into Ivi’s top 10.
• Angelina Pakhomova: The success of the thriller The Trophy and the series On the Ice on Okko is attributed to the actress’s rising popularity following the second season of Golden Bottom.
• Domovenok Kuzya (Kuzya the Little Hobgoblin): The classic cartoon returned to the Start and Kinopoisk charts amid anticipation for its high-budget sequel.

The Series Landscape: Partnerships and Originals

Kinopoisk emerged as a key player in the series segment. Thanks to a new subscription option for the Smotrim service, the historical project Prince Andrey instantly became the platform’s leader. However, the service’s press office notes that licensed partnership projects (the comedies Treshka and Mr. Nail) are currently seeing more activity than the platform’s own originals.

Meanwhile, other platforms are betting on exclusives:

• Okko: The tragicomedy Back on Your Feet holds the lead.
• Wink: Lily of the Valley continues to attract viewers for a second year, while new episodes of Children of Change have propelled the legendary The Boy’s Word back into the top ranks.
• Start: A crime parable starring Viktoriya Isakova took the top spot, surpassing Guardians of the Central Highlands.
• Kion: Demand for genre content remains stable—detectives and thrillers (Black Sun, The Reservation) make up 80% of the top list.

Quarterly Results: The “New Year Echo”

As the first three months of 2026 conclude, Cheburashka 2 and Prostokvashino are the most widely represented titles across services. Ilya Alekseev, CEO of Start, notes that family projects and fairy tales dominate due to the cumulative marketing effect from their theatrical runs.

Interestingly, while holidays (February 14 and March 8) stimulate interest in “light” cinema, they do not limit the audience: during these periods, gritty thrillers like The Housemaid and The Trophy appeared in the charts alongside romances.

In the animation sector, a historic breakthrough was recorded: joining long-time leaders Kid-E-Cats and Masha and the Bear, The Blue Tractor entered the general Kinopoisk chart for the first time, securing ninth place.